NZ Screen History: Telethon

History - BBC Children in Need

@mostmemorablemedia on Instagram: "In the middle of a scripted Hurricane Katrina relief telethon in 2005, Kanye West abruptly went off-script and delivered one of the most shocking lines in live TV history. Standing beside a visibly stunned Mike Myers, Kanye criticized the media’s portrayal of Black victims and the government’s slow response before ending with, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” The broadcast immediately cut away, but the moment had already landed, raw, uncomfortable

Various - NBN Telethon 2002

KCBD marks 40 years, longest-running Children’s Miracle Network telethon

@interesting.always.1 on Instagram: "Television call-in specials have been a core part of broadcast history since the 1950s, when stations first realized they could merge entertainment with real-time community fundraising. Early versions were simple - hosts reading names and pledges off handwritten cards during local charity drives. But by the 1960s and 70s, the model evolved into fully produced telethons, with live music, guest appearances, and long broadcast runs designed to keep viewers engag